---
title: "Social rent, mid-rent and free sector compared (2026)"
description: "Social rent, mid-rent and the free sector side by side: points bands, maximum rents for 2026 and 2027, rent increase caps per sector and worked examples."
url: "https://verhuurregels.pro/en/compare/"
locale: "en"
author: "Redactie Verhuurregels.pro"
publishedDate: ""
updatedDate: "2026-10-29T00:00:00.000Z"
categories: ""
tags: ""
---

# Social rent, mid-rent and free sector compared (2026)

Social rent, mid-rent and the free sector side by side: points bands, maximum rents for 2026 and 2027, rent increase caps per sector and worked examples.

**Short version:** the WWS points of your home decide whether it falls under social rent, mid-rent or the free sector. In 2026 that means social rent up to **143 points** (maximum **€932.93**), mid-rent from **144 to 186 points** (maximum **€1,228.07**) and the free sector from **187 points**, with no cap. On a running lease the rent may rise in 2026 by at most **4.1%**, **6.1%** or **4.4%**, depending on the sector.

For you as a private landlord, the sector settles three things at once: your starting rent, your yearly increase and whether a legal cap applies to your rent at all. Your sector follows from the [WWS points calculation](/en/rent-price/), where the energy label and the WOZ value (the municipal property valuation) are among the factors that count.

## How does the Affordable Rent Act split the market?

The Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur), in force since **1 July 2024**, places every rental home in one of three sectors based on its points. The limits were indexed by **3.65%** on 1 January 2026, as the [Rijksoverheid announcement on the 2026 rent limits](https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/nieuws/2025/11/25/indexering-inkomensgrenzen-woningcorporaties-maximale-huurprijsgrenzen-en-huurtoeslagparameters-2026) set out.

| Sector | WWS points | Maximum rent from 1 January 2026 | Maximum rent from 1 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social rent | up to 143 | €932.93 | €959.71 |
| Mid-rent (middenhuur) | 144 to 186 | €1,228.07 (at 186 points) | €1,263.32 (at 186 points) |
| Free sector | 187 or more | no cap | no cap |

The 2027 amounts were published on 7 October 2026, and under the new law the limits change every 1 January. The €1,228.07 figure is both the mid-rent maximum and the liberalisation limit, the line above which the free sector starts.

Leases signed before 1 July 2024 keep the old position. Mid-rent and free-sector leases from that period stay uncapped, while rooms are always capped. The signing date is what counts.

Whatever the sector, the same [landlord obligations in the Netherlands](/en/for-landlords/) apply, from a deposit of no more than two months' bare rent to handing over the points calculation with every new lease since 1 January 2025.

## How much can rent rise in 2026?

Each sector has its own maximum increase and its own start date. The percentages come from the [Rijksoverheid announcement on maximum rent increases for 2026](https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/nieuws/2025/12/15/maximale-huurverhoging-2026-in-sociale-sector-41-middenhuur-61-en-vrije-sector-44).

| Sector | Maximum increase | Applies to | Built from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social rent | **4.1%** | 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2027 | 3-year average inflation (3.6%) + 0.5% |
| Mid-rent | **6.1%** | increases in 2026 | collective wage growth (5.1%) + 1% |
| Free sector | **4.4%** | from 1 January 2026 | lower of inflation (3.4%) and collective wage growth (5.1%), + 1% |

Each sector adds its own conditions:

- **Social rent below €350:** the rent may rise by up to **€25** instead of 4.1%.
- **Social rent for higher earners:** an increase of **€50** or **€100** instead of the percentage. The 2026 income thresholds (based on 2024 income) are €59,504 and €70,149 for a single-person household, and €68,858 and €93,531 for a multi-person household.
- **Mid-rent:** after the increase, the rent stays at or below the maximum that belongs to the points.
- **Free sector:** this formula stays in place until **1 May 2029**.

In all three sectors you raise the rent once a year. A lease clause with a higher percentage is cut back to the legal maximum, and an increase after home improvements falls outside these percentages.

## What do the percentages mean in euros?

Three worked examples on an illustrative rent make the gap visible:

1. **Social rent of €800:** 4.1% of €800 is €32.80. The new rent becomes **€832.80**, on an increase date between 1 July 2026 and 1 July 2027.
2. **Mid-rent of €1,100:** 6.1% of €1,100 is €67.10. The new rent becomes **€1,167.10**, provided the points maximum of the home allows that amount.
3. **Free sector of €1,500:** 4.4% of €1,500 is €66. The new rent becomes **€1,566**.

Mid-rent carries the highest percentage in 2026 and also a hard ceiling per home. If your mid-rent sits close to the points maximum, that maximum stops the increase.

## Where is the private rental market heading?

On 1 January 2025 the Netherlands had **1.18 million** private rental homes, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Individuals owned **529,000** of them, 22,000 fewer than a year earlier. Companies held 419,000 and foundations and associations 235,000. CBS links the shrinking private rental sector in 2024 to individuals letting out fewer homes.

The Kadaster (the Dutch land registry) sees the same movement among investors. In 2025 investors sold **65,000** homes and bought **27,000**. On 1 July 2026 investors owned 745,400 homes (8.9% of all homes). Private investors with three or more homes held 269,600 (3.2%), down 23,200 in a year.

For your decision, this means: if you sell, you sell into a market where investors are net sellers. If you keep the home, you work with the limits and percentages in the tables above.

## What changes in 2027?

Part of 2027 is fixed, and part is still a plan:

- **Fixed:** the maximum rents from 1 January 2027 (€959.71 and €1,263.32).
- **Expected around December 2026:** the rent increase percentages for 2027.
- **Planned for 2027:** an evaluation of the Affordable Rent Act.
- **Plans with no start date:** a surcharge based on the WOZ value, scrapping the 5 minus points for a home without outdoor space, and a higher score for small national monuments (announced 10 April 2025).
- **Plan:** rental homes with label E, F or G would need at least label D by 1 January 2029. The draft decree went to parliament on 10 July 2026 and does not apply yet.

Until those plans become law, the limits and percentages in the tables on this page are the ones that count.